PUNE: As many as 54,000 students had registered for the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) organised by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) but only 33 solutions pitched by them could be converted into start-ups.
Entries were made to MHRD this year for both software and hardware edition. Out of these, only 1,000 could qualify for the final rounds. However, only 1 per cent of the product solutions were genuine and could be incubated into a start-up, stated Chief Innovation Officer of MHRD Abhay Jere.
Jere, along with chairman of start-up committee of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) Sanjay Inamdar, were in the city to conduct the MHRD-AICTE Regional Mentoring session for Proof of Concept at Army Institute of Technology (AIT) on Friday. About 150 students from various technical colleges from Maharashtra and Goa region were present at the event.
The session included orientation on Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) 2.0 and Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020.
HEIS LACK INNOVATION AND START-UP CULTURE
While interacting with the media, Jere said that higher educational institutes in India still lack the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. This has led to deficiency in innovative skills among students.
“Most of the results found in the hackathon were copy-pasted. Very few were original and innovative,” said Jere.
“From the previous competitions, 27 solutions have been implemented and 13 solutions will made into start-ups soon. And from the recent hardware edition, which got over in mid-July, at least 33 will be sent for start-ups,” said Jere.
“The number is very less as compared to the entries received. We are expecting at least 100 solutions from SIH, which can be turned into start-ups. And to achieve this, we will have a better screening of selection of proposed solution. Most likely from 2020, a radical change in this regard will be observed in the hackathon,” added Jere.
Most of the solutions have been absorbed by Ministry of AYUSH, Department of Atomic Energy, Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO), Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Jere also cited that in foreign countries, universities and institutes are hubs of ideas and innovation. “But here we are still striving to create an ecosystem for it,” he said.
The officials informed that 954 innovation clubs have already been established at HEIs across the country. More than 1,000 innovation cells are expected to be installed by this year.
INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE STUDENTS IN INNOVATION
For HEIs, which are involved in innovation and entrepreneurship, MHRD has set up ARIIA to appreciate the institutes and encourage them. The first six parameters of ranking stress upon innovation and start-ups.
At present, very few institutions have taken the evaluation under this ranking. In couple of years, it is likely that more institutions will enroll for this ranking.
Jere also stated that students lack cognitive, critical and design thinking skills.
“We are coming up with a course on design and critical thinking, which every student enrolling into HEI will have to take. They will get three credits in their kitty,” said Jere.
He also suggested that institutions should individually take up the initiative to develop a culture of innovation among their students. This will help beat the crisis.
START-UP POLICY
MHRD’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and AICTE are working on making a start-up policy.
Inamdar highlighted a few of the provisions on start-up policy.
He said, “Currently, there are two challenges in terms of urban and rural students and colleges. In urban areas, there is adequate infrastructure to support the innovative ideas of students. But adaptive or attitude of students is a challenge here.”
“Whereas, in rural areas, colleges lack adequate infrastructure but students are more active and have an attitude to make innovations real,” said Inamdar.
“So we are trying to reach to the grassroots of innovation and entrepreneurship in rural and urban areas, which will strengthen the start-up club,” added Inamdar.
Inamdar also stated that the ministry is looking at one start-up per institute. The target is 10 years. The higher-ups are also working on bringing strong guidelines on start-up policy, which will clarify on equity share and ownership.
